Running a food business sounds romantic, but ask anyone in the industry and they'll tell you that there's nothing farther from the truth. Hence, we have our beloved icons who continue to inspire us with their work. Here are 5 food entrepreneurs who have become an inspiration to all involved in the culinary scene!

Anahita Dhondhy

The journey of the young female chef- Anahita N. Dhondhy is a story that will inspire you immensely. Chef Anahita N. Dhondhy took her first steps to fulfil her dream to become a chef by getting shortlisted for IHM-Aurangabad’s Culinary Arts program. There she trained at various prestigious Taj properties and passed with flying colours. She joined SodaBottleOpenerWala as an Executive Chef at the tender age of 23. She made the restaurant her platform to popularise Parsi food. Recently, Anahita has parted from SodaBottleOpenerWala to explore food and beverage and reintroduce ‘forgotten foods’ into India’s diet. She aims to become a youth icon for all the young female chef aspirants in India.

Lisa Suwal

Lisa Suwal, VP- Marketing & Sales of Prasuma Meats & Delicatessen brand since August 2016. Lisa’s father, Mahendra Suwal, entered the food and beverage industry with the launch of Prasuma brand over 30 years back i.e., in 1985. It was the first brand to start the ‘fresh and chilled’ segment in India. Ten years ago, Prasuma entered into retail segment. Currently, the brand’s presence is at 300+ retail outlets across 21 Indian cities. 

Rebecca Vaz, Bhuira Jams

Bhuira was set up 23 years ago with the twin purpose of providing employment to the women of Bhuira in Himachal Pradesh and for using the abundant local fruit. It now manufactures more than 40 products— handmade, preservative-free jams, jellies, marmalades, crushes and chutneys.

Karyna Bajaj

One of the youngest Indian woman entrepreneurs, Karyna has built her empire using her father’s business as a foundation stone. She is the executive director at KA hospitality since 2016. Karyna is creating a new legacy of casual dining that is comfortable, easy and fun. She is also introducing a destination focus on nightlife and setting bars for the f&b industry. While she may be introducing new brands to KA hospitality, she is maintaining the consistency and the heritage of the company built by her father.

Garima Arora

Garima Arora of Gaa in Bangkok has been voted the elit™ Vodka Asia’s Best Female Chef 2019. In the latest edition of the Igniting Passion series, presented by elit™ Vodka, the Mumbai-born cook focuses on how to change the narrative around Indian cuisine. 

The restaurant Gaa has a unique menu with unripe jackfruit, liquid banana bread and duck doughnut.

GAA offers a choice of a 10- or 14-course tasting menu with wine or juice pairings. The menu uses local produce sourced from in and around Bangkok and Thailand. She explains- “We work with a lot of small farmers and foraging tribes. The idea is to give our diners something that is completely different, something that they have never tasted or experienced before,”